Blog

The year ended with a bang here at Kid Power! The Holidays are always a magical time of year for us! We get to witness the generosity of our friends, families, and partners. This Holiday Season, Kid Power supporters donated over $8,000 to help fund general operations and a special toy drive for Kid Power youth! Every Kid Power student received a gift off of his or her personal wish list, and cash donations will be used to help propel our academic and enrichment programs into the New Year.

This Holiday Season was extra special because we also got to see firsthand how generous and powerful our students can be when put to the challenge. They learned about local and international issues and led bake sales, coin drives, and car washes. In the end, they raised $600 to provide a summer scholarship for students in Benin, $300 for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, and $120 for Children’s National Hospital. They also helped spread the word about these important issues through educational flyers and PSAs!

Kid Power students at Cesar Chavez Prep decided they wanted to focus their service-learning projects on their local park, Bruce Monroe. Students have complained about drug use, litter, and lack of activities for youth in the park. However, rather than just complaining and doing nothing, students are passionate about turning the park into a positive environment for their community. They wrote letters to Councilmen Tommy Wells and Jim Graham asking for help in making Bruce Monroe cleaner and safer. They hope to bring real change to the area, which will provide a safe and clean venue for youth and families in the community.

Kid Power’s Elementary School sites held holiday dinner celebrations at the end of the year. Seventy-five percent of our students’ parents came to celebrate with us. Parent engagement is a huge focal point of Kid Power programs, and it is truly awesome to have parents participate with us.

Students across all of Kid Power’s programs continue to work on their community gardens. One hundred students collaboratively wrote letters imploring Michelle Obama to visit them. With her vocal support of community gardens and healthy living, Kid Power youth are determined to have Mrs. Obama see their work. Hopefully we’ll be seeing the First Lady at our sites in the near future!

Kid Power volunteers and the USA Team Handball Federation worked with staff to hold a Kid Power-wide Handball tournament at Jefferson Middle School. Handball was extremely popular with Kid Power students over the last four months, and the tournament was the culminating event. Students and families from across the city came together for some active and engaging friendly competition. It was a remarkable event.

The last year was an enjoyable one. We could not be happier and are looking forward to what the year 2013 has in store for Kid Power!